20230716 Building at Barakhamba Rd catches fire, doused
India Jul 16 2023 “Building”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Building at Barakhamba Rd catches fire, doused
Updated: 2023-07-16
NEW DELHI: A major tragedy was averted after a massive fire broke out on the ninth floor of the multi-storey DCM building in central Delhi’s Barakhamba Road on Saturday evening. No injuries were reported in the blaze and it was brought under control within two hours, officials said.
As thick clouds of smoke rose from the building, people from adjacent offices and buildings panicked and scores of people gathered around the flaming building.
Over 15 fire tenders were sent to the spot, Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said.
Due to fears that the fire could spread to other parts of the building, “snake arms”, which are hydraulics-based machines, were pressed into service along with Bronto sky-lifts to douse the fire, officials said.
The fire broke out around 6:15 pm in the back-end office of the Punjab National Bank but staffers had left by then. Many were apparently working from home as well. “Many staffers had gone home by 2 pm because it was a Saturday,” said a guard deployed at the building.
Officials said the call about the fire was received around 6:21 pm. As firemen and police officials rushed to the spot, the first priority was to locate any people who may have been trapped inside.
Firemen used “snake arms” to spray water and control the blaze through the windows. Initally, ten fire trucks were sent but later, five more were dispatched.
Luckily, it started raining soon after so the firemen breathed a sigh of relief. The fire was finally doused around 8:30 pm, after which cooling operations were initiated.
The fire department will conduct an audit of the building and ascertain if there were any lapses. The police, too, have started a probe to ascertain what led to the fire.
Initial probes suggest that the blaze broke out due to an electrical mishap.
Web Source: The Times of India